Mortality and causes of mortality among cataract-extracted patients. A 10-year follow-up.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to compare the mortality among patients undergoing intracapsular cataract extraction to the mortality in a gender-and age-identical Danish reference population, and to compare the patients' primary causes of death to those in the general population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We reviewed medical records of patients undergoing ICCE from January 1st 1984 to December 31st 1986 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Aalborg Hospital, Denmark. Information on the deaths of these patients was obtained from the Danish National Population Register. Information on mortality in Denmark was obtained from published statistics.

RESULTS

We found an increased mortality among the patients with cataract with an SMR (standard mortality rate) of 1.12 (95% confidence interval 1.02-1.23). The slightly increased mortality was observed for both men and women and for all examined causes of death.

CONCLUSION

The slightly increased mortality among patients with cataract may indicate a general deterioration of health for these patients.